Leaks in the Door Insulation on a Dishwasher

Door Gasket

• You dishwasher has a rubber gasket piece that fits on the inside perimeter of the door. While your dishwasher is running, water collects in the bottom of the tub and is sprayed throughout the dishwasher. The door gasket keeps the water from leaking out between the door and the front of the dishwasher. Since the gasket is made of rubber, it eventually wears out from age and exposure to heat from the dishwasher’s heating element. If you find that the gasket is brittle, cracking or otherwise damaged, peel it off and apply a fresh gasket, which you can purchase from an appliance service center.

Soap Dish Catch Gasket

• The gasket that sits on the perimeter of the dishwasher door is not the only gasket on the door. The soap dish door stays closed when you press the door’s tab into the catch located on the door. The catch is a small recess located just above the soap dish. Inside the catch is a rubber gasket that keeps water from flowing into the door’s interior and out onto the kitchen floor. As with the door gasket, if you find that the catch’s gasket has worn out, replace it with a new gasket.

Float Switch

• The float switch sits in the bottom of the dishwasher tub and measures the water level inside the dishwasher. For a dishwasher to perform optimally, it must have a certain level of water in the bottom of the tub where it is heated by the heat element. If the float switch is clogged with food particles, it will not stop the dishwasher from continuing to allow water to flow into the dishwasher after the water level reaches the optimal level. With too high of a water level in the dishwasher leaks are more likely to occur. Removing the screw that holds the float switch’s cover down allows you to clean it with an old toothbrush.

Water Damage

• A leaking dishwasher can lead to serious water damage in your house. The water cascading out around the dishwasher’s door can damage the kitchen’s finished flooring, causing vinyl to peel up and separate from the surface below or causing other types of flooring to bubble. The leaking water may also damage the ceiling in the room below the kitchen or soak the subfloor and promote rot in the floor joists. The leaking water can also promote mold growth in our house, putting your health at risk and damaging materials such as drywall.